I need to do varnishing in the winter when it is too cold to open a window for fresh air. Will an electostatic air filter help get rid of the VOCs. Is there anything else that I can do? I have a good respirator for when I am actually doing the work, but I don’t want to wear it until Spring.
Emil
Replies
Emil,
An electrostatic filter only removes solid particles from the air so it would collect any fine varnish particles from the overspray that were floating in the air, but it wouldn't pick up the solvent vapors which are a gas.
To remove the solvent from the air you would need an activated charcoal filter, basically a much larger version of the cartridges that you have on your respirator.
There are some home air purifiers that have activated charcoal filters but I suspect that they would be quickly overwhelmed by the amount of solvents created by spraying. Charcoal filters work by absorbing the vapors and must be replaced once they become saturated. For spraying, you will need large filters which probably means some type of commercial equipment.
The best approach would be to build a spray booth to vent most of the fumes outside as you spray and then use a charcoal filter to remove the remaining fumes that are released as the piece dries. This would extend the life of the filters which I suspect are expensive.
Possibly keeping a low volume air flow through the booth after you finish spraying to continue to pull the fumes outside might be more economical than charcoal filters, even though you would be paying to heat the air you are exhausting.
John White
Thanks for the info.
Emil
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